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Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a new position in shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 328,825 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $70,342,000. Bank of Nova Scotia owned about 0.11% of Republic Services at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Republic Services in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc bought a new position in Republic Services during the second quarter worth $25,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new position in Republic Services in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new stake in Republic Services during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Republic Services during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.73% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Republic Services from $233.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $247.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $232.00 target price on shares of Republic Services in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Argus downgraded shares of Republic Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $249.00 price objective on shares of Republic Services in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Republic Services has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $245.26.

View Our Latest Research Report on RSG Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Sandra M. Volpe sold 1,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.28, for a total value of $380,304.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 58 shares in the company, valued at $12,254.24. This represents a 96.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Cascade Investment, L.L.C. purchased 261,664 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $214.89 per share, for a total transaction of $56,228,976.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 111,065,646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,866,896,668.94. This represents a 0.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have acquired a total of 1,599,643 shares of company stock worth $346,519,404 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Republic Services Trading Up 0.4% NYSE:RSG opened at $220.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.64. Republic Services, Inc. has a one year low of $196.41 and a one year high of $237.06. The company has a market cap of $67.50 billion, a PE ratio of 31.23, a PEG ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $214.96 and a 200-day moving average of $215.05.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The business services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $4.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.36 billion. Republic Services had a return on equity of 18.69% and a net margin of 12.94%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.77 EPS. Republic Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.230-7.280 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Republic Services, Inc. will post 7.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This is a boost from Republic Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 2nd. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Republic Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.41%.

(Free Report)

Republic Services, Inc is a leading provider of non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services in the United States. The company offers a broad range of waste management solutions to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers, positioning itself as a full-service partner for everyday waste collection as well as specialized disposal needs.

Republic’s core operations include curbside and commercial collection, transfer and hauling, materials recovery and recycling facilities, and landfill disposal.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Republic Services 2 Biotech Stocks Shaping Up for Major Breakouts 3 Stocks Came Roaring Back—Now They’re Flashing Warning Signs 3 Beaten-Down Stocks That Haven’t Gotten the Message About the S&P 500’s Record Run Darden Restaurants Just Hit a 52-Week High–Is the Olive Garden Comeback Story Legit?

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EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 9,638 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,607,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,887,218 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,622,322,000 after acquiring an additional 189,229 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 2nd quarter worth about $6,296,349,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,596,511 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,122,535,000 after purchasing an additional 151,864 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Illinois Tool Works by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,944,651 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,709,734,000 after purchasing an additional 184,301 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in Illinois Tool Works by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 4,636,392 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,141,948,000 after purchasing an additional 142,837 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.77% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have issued reports on ITW. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $286.00 target price on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Illinois Tool Works from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $280.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Evercore lowered their price objective on Illinois Tool Works from $296.00 to $272.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $281.25.

View Our Latest Analysis on Illinois Tool Works Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Ernest Scott Santi sold 41,431 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $287.09, for a total value of $11,894,425.79. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 266,288 shares in the company, valued at $76,448,621.92. This trade represents a 13.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Matteo C. Pigozzo sold 277 shares of Illinois Tool Works stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $289.22, for a total value of $80,113.94. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $981,612.68. The trade was a 7.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.83% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Illinois Tool Works Price Performance NYSE ITW opened at $282.23 on Friday. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a one year low of $238.82 and a one year high of $303.15. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $278.00 and a 200 day moving average of $271.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of $80.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.59, a PEG ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 0.99.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.80 by $0.04. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 19.39% and a return on equity of 101.72%. The business had revenue of $4.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.58 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Illinois Tool Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.350-11.550 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 11.45 EPS for the current year.

Illinois Tool Works Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be issued a $1.72 dividend. This is an increase from Illinois Tool Works’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.61. This represents a $6.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. Illinois Tool Works’s dividend payout ratio is 58.39%.

Illinois Tool Works Profile (Free Report)

Illinois Tool Works Inc (ITW) is a diversified industrial manufacturer that designs and produces a broad array of engineered products, consumables and related service solutions for industrial customers. Its offerings span engineered fastening systems, specialty components, industrial equipment, welding products, foodservice and packaging equipment, adhesives and polymer products, and test-and-measurement technologies. These products are used as critical inputs by customers across automotive, construction, electronics, foodservice, maintenance and other industrial end markets.

The company operates a decentralized business model in which independently managed businesses focus on niche product lines and close customer relationships.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Illinois Tool Works 2 Biotech Stocks Shaping Up for Major Breakouts 3 Stocks Came Roaring Back—Now They’re Flashing Warning Signs 3 Beaten-Down Stocks That Haven’t Gotten the Message About the S&P 500’s Record Run Darden Restaurants Just Hit a 52-Week High–Is the Olive Garden Comeback Story Legit? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ITW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW – Free Report).

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Bank of Nova Scotia bought a new stake in NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 319,049 shares of the semiconductor provider’s stock, valued at approximately $89,662,000. Bank of Nova Scotia owned about 0.13% of NXP Semiconductors as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in NXPI. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in NXP Semiconductors during the 2nd quarter worth $5,408,000. Greenland Capital Management LP purchased a new position in NXP Semiconductors during the 2nd quarter worth $760,000. Alta Advisers Ltd acquired a new position in NXP Semiconductors in the second quarter valued at $293,000. Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of NXP Semiconductors during the second quarter worth about $3,275,000. Finally, Commerce Bank acquired a new stake in shares of NXP Semiconductors during the second quarter worth about $7,952,000. 90.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, EVP Christopher L. Jensen sold 1,746 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $316.53, for a total value of $552,661.38. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,643 shares in the company, valued at $1,153,118.79. This trade represents a 32.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Andrew Micallef sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.57, for a total transaction of $315,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,942 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,821,826.94. This trade represents a 10.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

NXP Semiconductors Stock Performance Shares of NXPI stock opened at $225.56 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $56.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.81. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $265.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $252.35. NXP Semiconductors N.V. has a 12-month low of $183.00 and a 12-month high of $339.95. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The semiconductor provider reported $3.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.52 by $0.09. NXP Semiconductors had a return on equity of 27.83% and a net margin of 22.56%.The business had revenue of $3.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.47 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.72 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 19.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that NXP Semiconductors N.V. will post 13.73 EPS for the current year.

NXP Semiconductors Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 9th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 24th were issued a $1.014 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 24th. This represents a $4.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. NXP Semiconductors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price objective (down from $305.00) on shares of NXP Semiconductors in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of NXP Semiconductors in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating on shares of NXP Semiconductors in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. KeyCorp increased their price target on NXP Semiconductors from $300.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of NXP Semiconductors from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $305.43.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on NXPI

(Free Report)

NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, that designs and supplies mixed-signal and standard product solutions for a broad range of end markets. The company focuses on enabling secure connections and infrastructure for embedded applications, developing technologies used across automotive, industrial and Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, and communication infrastructure segments. NXP’s offerings target customers that require reliable, secure, and high-performance semiconductor components for connected devices and systems.

Product lines include microcontrollers and application processors, secure elements and authentication technologies, RF and high-power analog components, connectivity solutions, and vehicle networking and infotainment systems.

See Also Five stocks we like better than NXP Semiconductors 2 Biotech Stocks Shaping Up for Major Breakouts 3 Stocks Came Roaring Back—Now They’re Flashing Warning Signs 3 Beaten-Down Stocks That Haven’t Gotten the Message About the S&P 500’s Record Run Darden Restaurants Just Hit a 52-Week High–Is the Olive Garden Comeback Story Legit? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NXPI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI – Free Report).

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BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Iridium Communications Inc (NASDAQ:IRDM – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 13,447,338 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $737,587,000. BlackRock Inc. owned approximately 12.69% of Iridium Communications as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its position in shares of Iridium Communications by 107.5% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,430 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 741 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Iridium Communications by 392.8% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,508 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,202 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Iridium Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Iridium Communications during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Iridium Communications by 10,363.2% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,988 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 1,969 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.36% of the company’s stock.

Iridium Communications Trading Up 1.1% Shares of IRDM stock opened at $48.98 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $48.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.88. Iridium Communications Inc has a twelve month low of $15.65 and a twelve month high of $57.18. The company has a market capitalization of $5.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 2.78, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.70.

Iridium Communications (NASDAQ:IRDM – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.19). Iridium Communications had a return on equity of 22.57% and a net margin of 10.55%.The company had revenue of $225.24 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $220.32 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.20 EPS. Iridium Communications’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Iridium Communications Inc will post 0.95 EPS for the current year. Iridium Communications Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Iridium Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 68.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling In other Iridium Communications news, EVP Timothy James Last sold 19,521 shares of Iridium Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.34, for a total value of $982,687.14. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 93,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,702,410.42. The trade was a 17.29% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Timothy Kapalka sold 13,473 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.51, for a total value of $680,521.23. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 35,731 shares in the company, valued at $1,804,772.81. The trade was a 27.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 375,919 shares of company stock worth $18,878,997. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms recently issued reports on IRDM. BWS Financial restated a “sell” rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of Iridium Communications in a research note on Monday, April 27th. New Street Research raised Iridium Communications from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Iridium Communications in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Iridium Communications from $48.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, William Blair downgraded shares of Iridium Communications from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $38.67.

Get Our Latest Research Report on IRDM

(Free Report)

Iridium Communications Inc operates a global satellite communications network that delivers voice and data services across land, sea and air. The company’s unique architecture relies on a constellation of 66 low-Earth orbit satellites, enabling real-time connectivity in regions beyond the reach of terrestrial wireless networks. Iridium’s core offerings include satellite voice and messaging services, broadband data terminals, push-to-talk (PTT) interoperability and machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT).

Iridium serves a diverse range of markets, including maritime shipping, aviation, government and defense, energy, and enterprise.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Iridium Communications 2 Biotech Stocks Shaping Up for Major Breakouts 3 Stocks Came Roaring Back—Now They’re Flashing Warning Signs 3 Beaten-Down Stocks That Haven’t Gotten the Message About the S&P 500’s Record Run Darden Restaurants Just Hit a 52-Week High–Is the Olive Garden Comeback Story Legit?

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EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 23,428 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,747,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Groupe la Francaise bought a new position in Aflac in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in Aflac in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new position in Aflac in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Aflac Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

Positive Sentiment: Aflac’s quarterly dividend is $0.61 per share, or $2.44 annualized, providing a yield of roughly 2.1%. The company has a long record of dividend growth and a relatively low payout ratio of about 26%, supporting its appeal as a defensive income stock. Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings were mixed: quarterly revenue of $4.22 billion exceeded analyst expectations of $4.11 billion, but earnings per share of $1.75 narrowly missed the $1.76 consensus. Revenue declined 1% year over year and EPS fell from $1.78 in the prior-year quarter, limiting fundamental momentum. Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street’s overall view remains cautious, with a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target near $116.62. Some analysts remain constructive, including Piper Sandler with a $138 target, while others maintain neutral or underweight ratings. Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research initiated coverage with an “underperform” rating and a $103 price target, implying meaningful downside from recent trading levels. The call adds to existing concerns from Barclays and JPMorgan, which also have cautious ratings or targets. Wolfe Research Starts Aflac at Underperform Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, Aflac’s major shareholder, sold another 12,700 shares on August 19 for approximately $1.49 million, following sales of 14,200 shares on August 18 and 13,900 shares on August 17. The transactions were conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and represent only a small reduction in its stake, but the repeated selling may weigh on investor sentiment. Aflac SEC Insider Filing Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have recently commented on AFL. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $124.00 target price (up from $114.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Mizuho set a $116.00 price objective on shares of Aflac in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Aflac presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $116.62. View Our Latest Research Report on Aflac

Insider Transactions at Aflac In related news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 63,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.12, for a total value of $7,441,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 51,169,435 shares in the company, valued at $6,044,133,662.20. This trade represents a 0.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 497,625 shares of company stock valued at $58,356,483. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Aflac Price Performance Shares of AFL opened at $116.12 on Friday. Aflac Incorporated has a 12-month low of $104.66 and a 12-month high of $130.22. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $121.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $116.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market cap of $58.22 billion, a PE ratio of 12.45, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.60.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.76 by ($0.01). Aflac had a net margin of 26.91% and a return on equity of 13.27%. The firm had revenue of $4.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.11 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.78 earnings per share. Aflac’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be paid a $0.61 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.15%.

Aflac Company Profile (Free Report)

Aflac Incorporated (American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus) is a provider of supplemental insurance products designed to help policyholders manage out-of-pocket health care and living expenses. The company underwrites a range of individual and group policies that typically pay cash benefits directly to insureds when covered events occur, enabling greater financial flexibility for medical treatment, hospital stays, critical illness, and related costs. Aflac’s product mix includes supplemental health insurance, life insurance and other specialty coverages intended to complement primary medical plans.

Founded in the mid-20th century and headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, Aflac distributes its products through a combination of employer-sponsored programs, independent brokers and agents, and direct marketing.

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Callan Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 15,750 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,417,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in Oshkosh by 1,945.0% during the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 425,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,468,000 after acquiring an additional 404,788 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its stake in shares of Oshkosh by 84.7% during the first quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 54,593 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,037,000 after purchasing an additional 25,037 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in Oshkosh by 21.9% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 74,153 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,916,000 after purchasing an additional 13,344 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management lifted its holdings in Oshkosh by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,913,769 shares of the company’s stock worth $240,427,000 after purchasing an additional 17,944 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Oshkosh in the 4th quarter valued at about $127,907,000. 92.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Oshkosh from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Oshkosh from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research cut shares of Oshkosh from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Oshkosh from $157.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $181.00 target price on shares of Oshkosh in a report on Monday, May 11th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $171.33.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Oshkosh Oshkosh Trading Up 2.8% Shares of OSK stock opened at $156.96 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $147.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $148.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.25. Oshkosh Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $116.77 and a fifty-two week high of $180.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Oshkosh (NYSE:OSK – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.63 by $0.24. Oshkosh had a net margin of 5.24% and a return on equity of 12.95%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.41 earnings per share. Oshkosh’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Oshkosh has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.000-11.000 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Oshkosh Corporation will post 10.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Oshkosh Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 13th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 13th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Oshkosh’s payout ratio is currently 26.09%.

About Oshkosh (Free Report)

Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of specialty trucks, military vehicles and access equipment. The company’s offerings span critical end markets, including defense, fire and emergency services, commercial construction and industrial sectors. By combining engineering expertise with advanced technologies, Oshkosh delivers solutions that enhance mobility, safety and productivity for its customers.

Founded in 1917 and headquartered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the company has evolved from producing heavy-duty dump trucks to a diversified portfolio of products and services.

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Callan Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 14,178 shares of the data storage provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,194,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Park Square Financial Group LLC raised its position in NetApp by 68.7% in the fourth quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC now owns 253 shares of the data storage provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. Gen Wealth Partners Inc purchased a new stake in shares of NetApp in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NetApp in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc acquired a new stake in shares of NetApp in the first quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NetApp in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.17% of the company’s stock.

NetApp Trading Down 0.3% NASDAQ:NTAP opened at $192.27 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $37.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 1.45. NetApp, Inc. has a one year low of $93.69 and a one year high of $209.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.44. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $172.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $134.89.

NetApp (NASDAQ:NTAP – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The data storage provider reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by ($0.24). NetApp had a net margin of 18.43% and a return on equity of 117.23%. The business had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.93 EPS. NetApp’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. NetApp has set its FY 2027 guidance at 8.700-9.000 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 2.050-2.150 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that NetApp, Inc. will post 7.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. NetApp Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 29th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. NetApp’s payout ratio is 32.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth NTAP has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley raised NetApp from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $137.00 to $173.00 in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Argus increased their price objective on shares of NetApp from $130.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $160.00 price objective on shares of NetApp in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of NetApp from $125.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of NetApp from $110.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $177.25.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on NTAP

Insider Activity at NetApp In other NetApp news, CAO Lorenzo Daniel De sold 225 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.09, for a total transaction of $38,495.25. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,090 shares in the company, valued at $186,488.10. This represents a 17.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Elizabeth M. O’callahan sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.82, for a total transaction of $193,820.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 30,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,872,164.54. This represents a 3.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 55,297 shares of company stock valued at $8,758,016 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

About NetApp (Free Report)

NetApp, Inc (NASDAQ: NTAP) is a data management and storage company that delivers hybrid cloud data services for applications and data. Founded in 1992 as Network Appliance and rebranded as NetApp in 2008, the company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. NetApp’s offering focuses on enabling organizations to store, manage, protect and move data across on-premises environments and major public clouds.

The company’s product portfolio centers on the ONTAP data management software and a range of storage systems and services built around it.

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Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in shares of CubeSmart (NYSE:CUBE – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 324,525 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $12,906,000. Deutsche Bank AG owned approximately 0.14% of CubeSmart as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Financial Group Inc. Co. ADV bought a new stake in CubeSmart during the 2nd quarter valued at $774,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of CubeSmart in the 2nd quarter worth $7,721,000. Diamond Hill Capital Management LLC Investment Advisor bought a new position in shares of CubeSmart in the 2nd quarter worth $68,552,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of CubeSmart in the 2nd quarter worth $60,000. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of CubeSmart during the 2nd quarter worth $8,908,000. 97.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have recently weighed in on CUBE. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of CubeSmart from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $47.00 price target on shares of CubeSmart in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Mizuho upped their price target on CubeSmart from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on CubeSmart from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on CubeSmart from $41.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CubeSmart currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $43.50.

Get Our Latest Research Report on CUBE CubeSmart Trading Down 0.6% NYSE CUBE opened at $40.95 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $41.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.86. The stock has a market cap of $9.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.24, a P/E/G ratio of 6.73 and a beta of 1.07. CubeSmart has a 12-month low of $35.09 and a 12-month high of $43.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 0.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34.

CubeSmart (NYSE:CUBE – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by ($0.25). CubeSmart had a net margin of 29.41% and a return on equity of 12.35%. The company had revenue of $286.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $281.12 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.65 earnings per share. CubeSmart’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. CubeSmart has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.640-0.660 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.540-2.600 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that CubeSmart will post 2.57 earnings per share for the current year.

CubeSmart Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. CubeSmart’s payout ratio is presently 146.21%.

CubeSmart Profile (Free Report)

CubeSmart (NYSE: CUBE) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in the ownership, operation and management of self-storage facilities across the United States. The company’s portfolio comprises properties in primary and secondary markets, catering to both individual and business customers seeking flexible, short-term and long-term storage solutions. CubeSmart’s facilities feature a range of unit sizes, climate-controlled options and advanced security features, supported by on-site managers and centralized customer service operations.

In addition to traditional self-storage units, CubeSmart offers specialty services such as vehicle and boat storage, retail sales of packing and moving supplies, and tenant insurance programs.

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EP Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 12,130 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,434,000.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Capital One Financial by 330.1% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 13,587 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,423,000 after buying an additional 10,428 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Capital One Financial by 44.3% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 8,968 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,608,000 after acquiring an additional 2,753 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Capital One Financial by 118.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,300 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $702,000 after acquiring an additional 1,788 shares during the last quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new position in shares of Capital One Financial during the 2nd quarter worth $218,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Capital One Financial during the 2nd quarter worth $1,086,000. 89.84% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Capital One Financial Stock Performance NYSE COF opened at $218.05 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $133.77 billion, a PE ratio of 13.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Capital One Financial Corporation has a twelve month low of $174.24 and a twelve month high of $259.64. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $208.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $198.21.

Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $5.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.79 by $1.02. The firm had revenue of $15.83 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.76 billion. Capital One Financial had a return on equity of 11.28% and a net margin of 13.37%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 26.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.48 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Capital One Financial Corporation will post 20.29 earnings per share for the current year. Capital One Financial Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Capital One Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.80%.

Key Capital One Financial News Here are the key news stories impacting Capital One Financial this week:

Positive Sentiment: COF’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $5.81 versus the $4.79 consensus and revenue of $15.83 billion. The company’s revenue increased 26.9% year over year, helping drive a roughly 9.6% gain since the earnings release. Capital One Up 9.6% Since Last Earnings Report Positive Sentiment: Analyst expectations remain constructive. The recent median price target cited for COF is $254.50, above the stock’s referenced trading level, while Bank of America reportedly maintained a Buy rating. Investors are also looking for continued earnings growth and potential valuation expansion. Bank of America Maintains Buy Rating Why Capital One Could See Earnings Growth and Multiple Expansion Neutral Sentiment: Capital One will redeem all 1 million outstanding shares of its Series M fixed-rate reset non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock on September 1, 2026. The action is a capital-management decision with limited direct impact on operating earnings, though investors may monitor its effect on the company’s capital structure. Capital One Announces Series M Preferred Stock Redemption Negative Sentiment: Consumer-credit concerns are weighing on the shares. Industry credit-card delinquencies remain elevated, and Capital One’s 30-plus-day delinquency rate reportedly edged up to 3.48% in July, despite an improvement in net charge-offs. This mixed data is particularly important because Capital One has substantial credit-card exposure. Capital One Falls as Investors Weigh Consumer Credit Pressure Negative Sentiment: Bank of America also noted slower card growth, adding to concerns that future loan and revenue growth could moderate. Separately, reported insider activity showed substantial selling and no open-market purchases during the past six months, a potentially cautious signal, although insider sales can reflect compensation or diversification. Bank of America Sends Message on Capital One Stock Insider Buying and Selling at Capital One Financial In other news, CAO Timothy P. Golden sold 3,487 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.00, for a total value of $735,757.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,567,519. This represents a 31.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Celia Karam sold 1,888 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.52, for a total transaction of $425,781.76. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 59,708 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,465,348.16. The trade was a 3.07% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 26,267 shares of company stock valued at $5,617,648. 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In COF has been the topic of several recent research reports. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Capital One Financial in a research report on Monday, June 29th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $254.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Capital One Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, August 2nd. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Capital One Financial from $234.00 to $231.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Capital One Financial from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 price target on shares of Capital One Financial in a research note on Thursday. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $259.14.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on COF

(Free Report)

Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF) is a diversified bank holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. The company’s core businesses include credit card lending, consumer and commercial banking, and auto finance. Capital One issues a wide range of credit card products for consumers and small businesses, and it operates deposit and digital banking services aimed at retail customers and small to midsize enterprises.

Products and services include credit and charge cards, checking and savings accounts (including the online-focused Capital One 360 platform), auto loans, and commercial lending solutions.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Capital One Financial 2 Biotech Stocks Shaping Up for Major Breakouts 3 Stocks Came Roaring Back—Now They’re Flashing Warning Signs 3 Beaten-Down Stocks That Haven’t Gotten the Message About the S&P 500’s Record Run Darden Restaurants Just Hit a 52-Week High–Is the Olive Garden Comeback Story Legit?

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Danske Bank A S bought a new position in shares of PPL Corporation (NYSE:PPL – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 23,395 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $850,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in PPL in the second quarter valued at $42,000. Covestor Ltd grew its position in PPL by 206.7% during the 2nd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,291 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 870 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of PPL by 72.5% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 2,587 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $99,000 after buying an additional 1,087 shares during the last quarter. Rossby Financial LCC raised its stake in shares of PPL by 70.0% during the 4th quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 3,012 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 1,240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of PPL in the 4th quarter valued at about $119,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling In other PPL news, CFO Ashley F. Johnson sold 34,993 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.08, for a total value of $772,645.44. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 561,482 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,397,522.56. This trade represents a 5.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kristen Robinson sold 37,107 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.05, for a total value of $929,530.35. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 222,897 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,583,569.85. The trade was a 14.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets PPL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays upped their target price on PPL from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on PPL from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Bank of America decreased their price target on PPL from $42.00 to $39.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on PPL from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of PPL in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.33. Get Our Latest Analysis on PPL

PPL Trading Down 2.2% Shares of PPL stock opened at $34.42 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $35.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.75. The company has a market cap of $25.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.57. PPL Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $33.17 and a fifty-two week high of $40.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.91.

PPL (NYSE:PPL – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.01). PPL had a return on equity of 9.33% and a net margin of 13.47%.The firm had revenue of $2.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.32 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. PPL has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.900-1.980 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that PPL Corporation will post 1.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PPL Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 10th will be given a dividend of $0.285 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 10th. This represents a $1.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. PPL’s dividend payout ratio is currently 67.46%.

PPL Profile (Free Report)

PPL Corporation is an energy company that owns and operates electric transmission and distribution infrastructure and provides related customer services. The company’s core business centers on delivering electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers through regulated utility operations, maintaining grid reliability, responding to outages and managing customer billing and account services.

PPL’s activities include construction and maintenance of distribution and transmission lines, meter and grid management, and programs to support energy efficiency and the interconnection of distributed resources.

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Callan Family Office LLC purchased a new position in UFP Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:UFPI – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 40,056 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,635,000. Callan Family Office LLC owned approximately 0.07% of UFP Industries at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its holdings in UFP Industries by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 3,197 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $291,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the period. Arkadios Wealth Advisors lifted its stake in UFP Industries by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 4,648 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $423,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in UFP Industries by 54.8% in the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 322 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the period. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in UFP Industries by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,133 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $832,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of UFP Industries by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 12,972 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,181,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. 81.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of UFP Industries from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on UFP Industries from $100.00 to $87.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 11th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on UFP Industries from $110.00 to $105.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research upgraded UFP Industries from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Benchmark decreased their target price on UFP Industries from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, UFP Industries currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $103.75.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on UFPI UFP Industries Stock Performance NASDAQ UFPI opened at $88.80 on Friday. UFP Industries, Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.89 and a 52-week high of $118.00. The company has a fifty day moving average of $88.12 and a 200-day moving average of $91.49. The company has a market capitalization of $4.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.37 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.64 and a current ratio of 3.98.

UFP Industries (NASDAQ:UFPI – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The construction company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.11. UFP Industries had a return on equity of 8.00% and a net margin of 3.99%.The business had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.79 billion. As a group, equities research analysts predict that UFP Industries, Inc. will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UFP Industries Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be issued a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. UFP Industries’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.03%.

Key Headlines Impacting UFP Industries Here are the key news stories impacting UFP Industries this week:

Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its Q2 2027 EPS forecast to $1.61 from $1.51, lifted its Q4 2026 forecast to $1.02 from $1.01, and increased its Q2 2028 estimate to $1.95 from $1.91. Positive Sentiment: The firm also raised its FY2028 EPS outlook to $6.73 from $6.69, indicating expectations for stronger longer-term earnings growth. Neutral Sentiment: Zacks left its current full-year consensus reference at approximately $4.56 EPS and retained a Hold rating. The revisions therefore represent a mixed outlook rather than a broad upgrade to the stock. Negative Sentiment: Zacks sharply reduced its Q3 2026 EPS forecast to $1.16 from $1.31 and cut FY2026 EPS to $4.55 from $4.71. These reductions could weigh on near-term sentiment and imply softer operating results than previously expected. Negative Sentiment: Additional modest cuts affected Q1 2027 EPS, now estimated at $1.29 versus $1.32; Q3 2027 EPS, at $1.38 versus $1.44; Q4 2027 EPS, at $1.16 versus $1.17; and Q1 2028 EPS, at $1.55 versus $1.56. About UFP Industries (Free Report)

UFP Industries, Inc, founded in 1955 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, designs, manufactures, and distributes a broad range of wood and wood-alternative products. The company operates through two primary segments: UFP Retail Solutions, which supplies building materials and components to home improvement retailers and lumber dealers, and UFP Distribution Solutions, which offers packaging, pallets, skids, and other industrial products for a variety of end markets. Its product portfolio includes treated and untreated lumber, engineered wood, decking, railing, fencing, vinyl sheets and profiles, and custom-designed packaging solutions.

With manufacturing facilities and distribution centers across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe, UFP Industries serves professional contractors, industrial customers, and do-it-yourself consumers.

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EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Edison International (NYSE:EIX – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 22,958 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,709,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Edison International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $56,000. Ieq Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Edison International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $82,345,000. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Edison International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $377,000. OneAscent Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Edison International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $692,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP purchased a new stake in shares of Edison International during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,586,000. 88.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Edison International Price Performance Edison International stock opened at $71.51 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $74.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $71.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.66. Edison International has a 1 year low of $52.00 and a 1 year high of $81.62. The company has a market capitalization of $27.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.66.

Edison International (NYSE:EIX – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.36. Edison International had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 15.53%. The firm had revenue of $4.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.97 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. Edison International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.900-6.200 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Edison International will post 6.13 earnings per share for the current year. Edison International Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 7th were paid a dividend of $0.8775 per share. This represents a $3.51 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 7th. Edison International’s dividend payout ratio is 36.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Edison International from $81.00 to $77.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Edison International from $69.00 to $65.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings downgraded Edison International from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Mizuho upped their price target on Edison International from $79.00 to $86.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Edison International from $75.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $72.45.

View Our Latest Report on EIX

Edison International Profile (Free Report)

Edison International is a publicly traded utility holding company based in Rosemead, California, whose principal subsidiary is Southern California Edison (SCE). As an electric utility holding company, Edison International oversees the delivery of electricity through SCE’s integrated network of generation procurement, transmission and distribution infrastructure, serving millions of customers across central, coastal and southern California. The company’s operations focus on reliable energy delivery, customer service, regulatory compliance and long-term infrastructure planning for a complex and high-demand service territory.

The company’s activities include procuring and managing a diverse resource mix, maintaining and upgrading transmission and distribution systems, and implementing grid modernization projects.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Edison International 2 Biotech Stocks Shaping Up for Major Breakouts 3 Stocks Came Roaring Back—Now They’re Flashing Warning Signs 3 Beaten-Down Stocks That Haven’t Gotten the Message About the S&P 500’s Record Run Darden Restaurants Just Hit a 52-Week High–Is the Olive Garden Comeback Story Legit?

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Callan Family Office LLC bought a new position in SEI Investments Company (NASDAQ:SEIC – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 32,957 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $2,891,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of SEI Investments by 96.8% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 309 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in SEI Investments by 353.1% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 435 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in SEI Investments by 40.8% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 487 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in SEI Investments by 60.2% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 532 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in SEI Investments during the 1st quarter valued at $43,000. 70.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling In other SEI Investments news, Director Kathryn Mccarthy sold 10,000 shares of SEI Investments stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.53, for a total value of $1,035,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 77,883 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,063,226.99. This trade represents a 11.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Mark Andrew Warner sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.35, for a total transaction of $1,535,250.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 921 shares in the company, valued at $94,264.35. The trade was a 94.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 142,332 shares of company stock valued at $13,745,813 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 4.80% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts recently issued reports on SEIC shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of SEI Investments from $113.00 to $119.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of SEI Investments in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of SEI Investments in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded SEI Investments from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their target price on SEI Investments from $114.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and six have issued a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $122.60. Get Our Latest Research Report on SEIC

SEI Investments Trading Up 1.8% Shares of NASDAQ:SEIC opened at $109.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 5.06 and a quick ratio of 4.96. SEI Investments Company has a 1 year low of $75.08 and a 1 year high of $109.75. The company has a market cap of $13.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.32 and a beta of 0.96. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $97.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $88.77.

SEI Investments (NASDAQ:SEIC – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The asset manager reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $636.35 million. SEI Investments had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 29.16%. The firm’s revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.78 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that SEI Investments Company will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current year.

SEI Investments Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 8th were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 118.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 8th. SEI Investments’s payout ratio is 18.34%.

(Free Report)

SEI Investments Company is a global provider of asset management, investment processing, and investment operations solutions. The firm offers a range of services designed to help financial institutions, private banks, wealth managers and family offices streamline back-office functions and enhance front-office capabilities. SEI’s technology platforms support various stages of the investment lifecycle, including trade execution, performance reporting, risk analytics and client communications.

The company’s core offerings include outsourced fund administration, custody and trust services, managed account solutions, and wealth management technology.

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EP Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 37,702 shares of the medical research company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,410,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,318,092,000. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,991,524 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $2,215,777,000 after purchasing an additional 371,892 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 21,793,949 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,857,934,000 after buying an additional 989,533 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences during the second quarter valued at about $1,274,082,000. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences in the fourth quarter valued at about $803,686,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.46% of the company’s stock.

Edwards Lifesciences Stock Up 0.1% Shares of NYSE:EW opened at $89.89 on Friday. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation has a 12 month low of $72.30 and a 12 month high of $96.29. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $89.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $84.67. The company has a quick ratio of 3.77, a current ratio of 4.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm has a market cap of $51.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.85.

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical research company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.70 billion. Edwards Lifesciences had a return on equity of 15.68% and a net margin of 15.43%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.67 EPS. Edwards Lifesciences has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.710-0.770 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Edwards Lifesciences Corporation will post 3 EPS for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth EW has been the topic of several recent research reports. BTIG Research lifted their price objective on Edwards Lifesciences from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Citigroup upped their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $101.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a report on Monday, July 6th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $100.27.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Edwards Lifesciences

Insider Buying and Selling at Edwards Lifesciences In related news, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 23,145 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.42, for a total value of $2,000,190.90. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 98,611 shares in the company, valued at $8,521,962.62. This trade represents a 19.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Andrew M. Dahl sold 568 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.08, for a total transaction of $48,893.44. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,319,950.72. This trade represents a 3.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,570 shares of company stock valued at $2,219,390. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

(Free Report)

Edwards Lifesciences is a medical technology company focused on products and therapies for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring. The company designs, develops and manufactures prosthetic heart valves and related delivery systems used in both surgical and minimally invasive (transcatheter) procedures. Its portfolio addresses a range of valvular conditions, with an emphasis on technologies that enable transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as an alternative to open-heart surgery.

In addition to transcatheter heart valves—including the widely recognized SAPIEN family—Edwards offers surgical tissue valves and ancillary devices used by cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists and hospital teams.

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Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 98,707 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,646,000. Deutsche Bank AG owned about 0.34% of Badger Meter at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of Badger Meter by 76.5% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its holdings in Badger Meter by 62.3% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Cardinal Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 20,165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,517,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 4,316 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $753,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Badger Meter by 13.5% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 688 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $123,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Badger Meter Stock Performance Shares of Badger Meter stock opened at $132.19 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.65. Badger Meter, Inc. has a twelve month low of $112.09 and a twelve month high of $204.00. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $137.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $139.15.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $220.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $220.59 million. Badger Meter had a net margin of 14.27% and a return on equity of 18.03%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.17 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Badger Meter Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 11th. Investors of record on Friday, August 28th will be issued a $0.44 dividend. This is a boost from Badger Meter’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 28th. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Badger Meter In other news, VP Edward F. Callahan bought 751 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $101,572.75. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president owned 1,937 shares in the company, valued at approximately $261,979.25. This trade represents a 63.32% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth BMI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Badger Meter from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $170.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $167.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $112.00 price target (up from $109.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $172.00 to $170.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Badger Meter currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $164.00.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on BMI

About Badger Meter (Free Report)

Badger Meter, founded in 1905 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a global leader in flow measurement and control solutions. The company’s core business centers on the design, manufacture and sale of water meters, control valves and related accessories for municipal and industrial water utilities. Over its more than a century of operation, Badger Meter has built a reputation for precision engineering, durability and compliance with international regulatory standards.

The company’s product portfolio includes mechanical and ultrasonic water meters, electromagnetic flow meters for industrial applications, and a range of control valves that help utilities manage pressure and flow in distribution networks.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Badger Meter 2 Biotech Stocks Shaping Up for Major Breakouts 3 Stocks Came Roaring Back—Now They’re Flashing Warning Signs 3 Beaten-Down Stocks That Haven’t Gotten the Message About the S&P 500’s Record Run Darden Restaurants Just Hit a 52-Week High–Is the Olive Garden Comeback Story Legit?

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Investors who left Target (TGT +4.54%) stock for dead have missed out on what's becoming one of 2026's best turnaround stories.

The essentials retailer has dealt with a host of challenges, from inflation putting pressure on its non-essential categories to political public relations messes to increased tariffs. Target stock deflated over the past few years, but its gaining market confidence again, and it's up 63% year to date.

The market is often wary about recovery stories, since they're rare. But Target's is happening.

Image source: Target.

Things are finally starting to go right The market was not enthused about the appointment of Michael Fiddelke to the CEO role last year. He's a company insider, and the market was looking for a fresh perspective on the company and its troubles. His recovery plan wasn't especially confidence-boosting either, since it had a whiff of an unoriginal playbook. However, much of the strategy relies on getting the execution right, and management appears to be pulling it off.

There was sustained momentum in the fiscal 2026 second quarter (ended Aug. 1). Comparable sales were up 3.8% year over year, and traffic was up 3.6%. That means more people are coming back to its stores. Much of the growth is coming from digital channels, which had an 8.7% increase in comps versus 2.7% for stores. Same-day options have been a standout for Target throughout its recent problems, and sales increased 25% year over year in the quarter.

There was growth across all six of its categories, with double-digit growth in Fun101 and high single-digit growth in food and beverage and beauty.

One major growth area was store transformation. Target overhauled more stores in this quarter than any other in the past decade, replacing and revamping many areas, including center store grocery assortment. It added extra space for fresh, snacks, bakery, and emerging categories, and snack sales increased 15% after the transition. It also transformed its toy areas, and Fun101, Lego, plush, and Heyday electronics all delivered double-digit comps growth.

It only works, though, if it continues. Chief merchandising officer Cara Sylvetor noted, "These are the kinds of choices we need to make more consistently, staying close to the guest, moving at the speed of culture, and being disciplined about where we invest our space."

The company is also enjoying strength in non-merchandise sales, which grew 20% over last year. These include revenue sources like advertising and its membership program. And it's not just comparable sales. Target opened 17 new stores in the second quarter, and total revenue increased 5.3% over last year.

The future looks even better Fiddelke noted that there's a ways to go to get back to stability, and there are many signs that it will happen. One encouraging update is how the company is leveraging artificial intelligence to drive sales. It had 3.5 times more direct traffic from external sources like ChatGPT than the year-ago period, and teacher and college wish-list recommendations led to strong digital conversions.

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The store renovations demonstrate that it's on the right track, and it's investing in newness, trends, and key collaborations to keep up the momentum. It's launching Target Beauty Studio in 600 stores, and it's redoing other spaces like kids' home and bedding.

Management raised full-year sales growth to about 5%, a full percentage point higher, and earnings per share from a midpoint of $8 to a midpoint of $10.40.

The price is right, too Target's P/E ratio went as low as 10 recently, and as the stock climbs, it's reached 16.5 at the current price. That still looks like a bargain, especially when compared with competitors Costco Wholesale and Walmart.

TGT PE Ratio data by YCharts

As Target's recovery takes shape, you can still buy it it a bargain price. The company is also a Dividend King, and it's raised its dividend annually for the past 55 years. At the current price, the dividend yields 2.9%, and investors can enjoy dividend and stock growth as Target stock makes its way back up.

SummaryAmeresco is rated Buy, with upside potential driven by a $1.5 billion awarded data center backlog—significantly larger than its $2 billion annual revenue base.AMRC's valuation trades at a discount to historical averages, reflecting market skepticism about converting awarded backlog into contracted revenue.Leverage is high at ~$1.82 billion in net debt (~7.5x EBITDA), but much is project-backed; cash flow remains negative, and interest expense is substantial.Near-term risk centers on backlog conversion, permitting, financing, and management turnover, but successful contract conversion could close the valuation gap. Jonathan Kitchen/DigitalVision via Getty Images

In Q2 2026, Ameresco (AMRC) received $1.2 billion of new data-center power-infrastructure awards. That pushed the awarded backlog to $4.42 billion from $2.77 billion. Ameresco now says roughly $1.5 billion of data center projects sit in the

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, Apple (AAPL -0.63%) announced new business terms for apps in the European Union, cutting its standard App Store commission from 30% to 26% and replacing its most contested fee with a simple 5% commission. Developers can sign the new terms now, and the changes take effect Oct. 1.

The company said the changes follow "close collaboration with the European Commission" and "resolve Apple's disagreements with the Commission over business terms and alternative distribution."

That last part is the news that matters for shareholders. The lower rates will leave more revenue with EU developers. But for Apple, the bigger event is the defusing of a regulatory fight that had already produced a 500 million euro fine and threatened more. Here's a look at the new rates -- and how much money is actually at stake.

Image source: Apple.

The new rate cardThe standard commission on EU App Store sales drops to 26%, from 30%. Apps using alternative payment processing pay 20%, and apps that link out to the web to complete purchases pay 15% on sales made within seven days of the tap. Members of Apple's Small Business Program, along with its Mini Apps and Video Partner programs, pay 15%, as do auto-renewing subscriptions after their first year. Those eligible apps pay 10% when they use alternative payments or link-outs.

The bigger structural change is the Core Technology Commission. Apps distributed outside the App Store (through rival marketplaces or the web) now pay a flat 5% commission on digital sales. That replaces the per-install Core Technology Fee -- the charge developers and regulators had contested most fiercely. The new terms also eliminate two other charges (an initial acquisition fee and a store services fee), and for the first time in the EU, developers can offer Apple's own payment system alongside alternatives in the same app.

In short, the fee sheet got shorter and cheaper. And that is what Brussels wanted.

The fight this defusesThe Digital Markets Act has been the tech giant's noisiest regulatory problem for two years. In April 2025, the European Commission fined the company 500 million euros (about $579 million) for preventing developers from steering customers to cheaper offers outside the App Store, and escalating penalties remained possible as the compliance arguments dragged on.

On Tuesday, the two sides stepped back from the fight. "The Commission welcomes Apple's changes to their business terms," the EU executive said in a statement, adding that it will monitor how the new terms are implemented.

Of course, a welcome is not a closed case, and the Digital Markets Act doesn't go away. But a dispute with a regulator that fines in the hundreds of millions has gone quiet -- Apple says its disagreements are resolved, and the Commission says it will watch how the new terms work in practice. That changes the risk attached to Apple's highest-margin segment.

Sizing the hitNow for the money. Apple's services segment produced $30.7 billion of revenue in the fiscal third quarter of 2026 (the period ended June 27), up 12% year over year and a record for the June period. Growth cooled a bit from the fiscal second quarter's 16% pace, but even the slower rate adds more than $13 billion of new services revenue a year to a business already running at an annual pace above $120 billion.

The App Store sits alongside everything from iCloud storage to Apple TV inside that segment, and the EU slice of it is smaller still. Asked about earlier European changes on a 2024 earnings call, Apple's then-chief financial officer Luca Maestri said the EU market "represents roughly 7% of our global app store revenue."

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Set those figures side by side, and the four-point cut shrinks quickly. It applies only to the standard tier (small developers and second-year subscriptions already sit at 15%), and only in a region generating about 7% of App Store revenue. Even assuming every EU transaction took the full four-point cut, the hit would be a sliver of a services business growing 12% a year -- and a rounding error against the $29.8 billion of net income Apple earned last quarter. And that's the worst case. The real hit would likely be smaller.

So where does that leave the stock?

Shares trade around $311 as of this writing, about 10% below their record high. I'd argue Tuesday's announcement nudges the investment case in Apple's favor, if anything, because the stock's valuation was never resting on four points of EU commission. What Apple bought this week is a quieter fight and a simpler fee structure, in a region the company had already sized as a small piece of the App Store. The services business keeps growing either way.

Main Street Capital (MAIN -0.19%) is a business development company (BDC). Its 7.5% yield is well above the market's roughly 1%. But there are some issues to consider before you buy this stock. And the biggest comes down to how the dividend payment is made. Here's what you need to know.

What's Main Street's real yield? Some online quote services will show Main Street's yield as 5.4%. Which isn't wrong, because the monthly dividend is $0.265 per share. If you multiply that number by 12 and divide by the recent stock price, you get roughly 5.4%. But Main Street has also paid an additional $0.30 per share in dividends each quarter in 2026. That same amount was paid every quarter in 2025 and 2024, as well. If you add that quarterly payment to the monthly dividend, you get a 7.5% yield.

Image source: Getty Images.

Main Street describes that extra payment as a supplemental dividend. It is paid out of "undistributed taxable income." While it has been reliably paid for several years, you can't count on it. The big-picture story here is that this business development company funds its regular dividend with the interest income it earns from loans to smaller, non-public businesses. In the second quarter, the company generated distributable income of $1.04 per share, easily covering the $0.795 per share in regular dividends it paid.

From this perspective, the dividend is fine. But what about the supplemental dividend? That will get lowered if there are headwinds. For example, during the COVID pandemic in 2020, no supplemental dividends were paid. Making loans to smaller, non-public companies is inherently risky, so an economic downturn could very easily lead the company to pull back on the supplemental dividend or eliminate it altogether. Recessions often result in an increase in troubled loans for a BDC.

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Main Street's business model has two parts What's interesting is that Main Street's dividend is similar to its business: it has two parts. The regular monthly dividend is funded by the interest income generated by its loans. There is plenty of leeway for adversity before that dividend would be at risk. The supplemental dividend is best understood as arising from the gains the BDC earns on equity stakes it takes when it makes a loan.

This is a normal part of the company's business and a bonus for Main Street if the investment works out well. The BDC is simply passing on its success to investors through the supplemental dividend, which you can think of as coming out of the balance sheet. Main Street's approach to its dividend is actually quite conservative. And if you understand what it is doing, you'll likely find the stock an attractive addition to your income portfolio. Just go in knowing that the supplemental dividend can't be counted on.

Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Palantir Technologies (PLTR +3.44%) took in $1.94 billion of revenue in the second quarter and kept $1.06 billion of it as net income. Out of every dollar the artificial intelligence (AI) software specialist collected, 55 cents dropped to the bottom line.

For context, a year earlier the margin was 33%, and it ran at 36% across all of 2025. Software has always been a high-margin business. But numbers like these are rare at any scale, let alone for a growth stock still expanding revenue 93% year over year.

A margin that extreme deserves a closer look, because how Palantir earns its 55 cents matters as much as the figure itself.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The operating engine does most of itMost of Palantir's profit is exactly what it looks like. Income from operations was $912 million in the second quarter, a 47% operating margin -- up from 27% in the year-ago quarter and 46% in the first quarter of 2026. The year-over-year jump is operating leverage in its purest form: revenue grew 93% while operating expenses rose just 34%, on a gross margin of about 85%.

And management's preferred summary of the quarter was a Rule of 40 score (revenue growth plus adjusted operating margin) of 155%.

"The sovereign AI revolution makes us very optimistic about the future," CEO Alex Karp said in the earnings release.

However you feel about the stock, that operating line is the most important part of the margin story. And it repeated, which matters. The first quarter ran a 46% operating margin, so this is now the established level, not a spike.

Interest and a tiny tax billThe remaining 8 cents come from below the operating line.

Palantir ended June with $9.2 billion of cash, equivalents, and short-term U.S. Treasuries, and that pile generated $77.5 million of interest income in the quarter. Another $91.8 million arrived as other non-operating income. And the tax bill was the unusual part. On $1.08 billion of pre-tax income, it came to about $15 million -- an effective rate of about 1.4%.

Run the same quarter at the 21% U.S. statutory rate instead, and the net margin lands closer to 44%. Still remarkable, just not 55%.

To be fair, this isn't a one-quarter quirk. The first quarter showed the same shape, with a 53% net margin against that 46% operating margin. But tax rates this low tend not to last as profitable companies scale, and interest income is a return on the cash pile, not on the software. The gap between 47 and 55 is the part of the margin a shareholder probably shouldn't count on keeping.

Can it hold?Management's own outlook says the profitability isn't going anywhere this year. Alongside the second-quarter report, Palantir raised its 2026 revenue guidance to between $8.150 billion and $8.158 billion, which implies 82% growth over 2025. It lifted its outlook for U.S. commercial revenue, the fastest-growing piece of the business, to more than $3.4 billion after that line grew 149% year over year to $764 million in the quarter.

On the profitability side, it guided to adjusted income from operations of about $4.9 billion and adjusted free cash flow of $4.5 billion to $4.7 billion, or about 55% to 58% of guided revenue. And the company said it continues to expect positive operating income and net income, under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), in each quarter of this year.

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The honest version of the headline number, then, goes like this. About 47 of the 55 cents come from the software business itself, before any tax. The rest is interest and other non-operating income, plus a tax rate that won't stay near zero forever. Palantir's own non-GAAP math assumes a long-term rate of 23%. And big profitable software companies do eventually pay something close to it.

I think that distinction matters mostly because of the price. Shares sit near $174 as of this writing, and the stock trades at more than 150 times earnings -- a valuation that treats today's extraordinary economics as a permanent feature.

That assumption leaves the work to revenue growth. A company already converting revenue to profit at this rate has little room to expand margins further -- from the first quarter to the second, the operating margin inched from 46% to 47%. From here, the stock's case rests almost entirely on growth staying extreme.

The profitability is exceptional, and most of it is the right kind. But at more than 150 times earnings, the price already assumes all of it continues.

Anthropic's backers reportedly want the artificial intelligence (AI) company to go public in October at a valuation of $2 trillion or more. The Financial Times reported the figure this month, citing the company's investors.

Anthropic itself has confirmed far less. It filed a confidential draft registration statement on June 1, and it hasn't publicly set a valuation, a date, an exchange, or a ticker. Bloomberg reported Thursday that the company expects to match or beat the size of SpaceX's record raise, and could file publicly as soon as the end of this month.

A $2 trillion debut would be the largest initial public offering (IPO) ever, and the company it would take the record from is barely two months into public life. SpaceX (SPCX +2.22%) priced the current largest IPO on record in June, at a valuation of about $1.77 trillion.

That makes SpaceX a timely case study. Anyone weighing whether to chase the next record listing can look at exactly what the market did with the last one.

Image source: Getty Images.

The reported appetite for Anthropic rests on explosive growth. Preliminary figures the company shared with prospective investors put second-quarter revenue above $11.5 billion, more than double the first quarter's $4.73 billion, according to documents seen by Bloomberg News. Investors who spoke to the Financial Times expect annualized revenue of $100 billion to $120 billion by the end of the year.

Days before filing, Anthropic raised $65 billion at a $965 billion valuation. In other words, its backers are now discussing a price about double what they paid in late May.

Worth noting, too: According to the same reporting, Anthropic's own senior executives haven't fixed a valuation target, even privately. The $2 trillion figure belongs to the investors, not the company.

Up 67%, down 22%, back to evenSpaceX sold 555,555,555 shares at $135 apiece on June 11, raising $75 billion at the offer in the largest IPO on record -- and about $86 billion in all, once its underwriters exercised their option to buy 83.3 million more shares. Trading began the next day, and the first public trade came at $150.

The 10 weeks since gave buyers the full range of outcomes. Shares ran as high as $225.64, a 67% gain from the offer price. They then fell as low as $104.83, which is 22% below it.

As of this writing, the stock sits within a few percent of $135 -- about 40% below its high, and almost exactly where it started.

So the investors who got shares at the offer price have made essentially nothing in two months. And anyone who bought at the opening trade is down about 9%.

The sellers set the recordThe business performed the whole time, which is what makes the return so instructive. SpaceX grew second-quarter revenue 92% year over year to $7.81 billion, and its AI segment's revenue more than tripled year over year to $2.6 billion. The company signed $14.1 billion of cloud computing contracts during the quarter, narrowed its net loss to $541 million from $1 billion a year earlier, and ended June with $47.5 billion in backlog.

Growth like that usually moves a stock. Across the full 10 weeks, on net, it hasn't moved this one -- because the offer price had already charged for it. Even today, SpaceX trades at about 57 times revenue, annualizing its second-quarter figure. The sellers, in short, set a record price precisely because the growth story was at full strength -- and the buyers have spent two months waiting for the story to catch up to what they paid.

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Anthropic's math could work out better. If revenue lands where its backers project, a $2 trillion valuation would be about 18 times the annualized revenue they expect by December. That is a lower price against hoped-for sales than SpaceX commanded.

But it still assumes annualized revenue grows another 50% or more from the $65 billion annualized run rate the company reported for late July. And it prices that assumption in before the company has reported a single quarter in public.

Of course, SpaceX's two months prove nothing about the next two years, and a business that keeps doubling can outgrow any starting price eventually. But I think the two-month record is worth taking at face value.

The largest IPO ever delivered a 67% surge, a 53% collapse from that peak, and, for the investor who simply bought and held from the start, a return of about zero -- all while the business nearly doubled its revenue year over year. A record-setting price means the growth is charged upfront. Two months in, that is exactly how it has traded.

The two biggest off-price retailers just reported the same 13 weeks of business, one day apart. The market treated them like different industries.

TJX (TJX -0.11%), the company behind TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, reported Wednesday morning that its comparable sales -- sales at stores open long enough to compare with a year earlier -- grew 4% in its fiscal second quarter of 2027 (the period ended Aug. 1, 2026), above its own plan. The stock fell 4% that day and kept falling Thursday, leaving it within about 5% of its 52-week low.

Ross Stores (ROST +4.39%) reported its own quarter, covering the very same weeks, after Thursday's close. Comparable sales grew 10%. The stock jumped on Friday, closing up more than 4%.

What did the market see that the headline numbers miss? The answer sits in the two companies' second-half plans.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Ross: the growth is broadeningRoss delivered the kind of quarter off-price investors have been waiting for. Total sales rose 13% year over year to $6.3 billion, and the 10% comparable sales gain was driven primarily by customer traffic (more people in stores, not just bigger baskets).

Even more encouraging, management said the growth drew on both new customers and higher engagement from existing ones. And the 10% gain came on top of just a 2% rise in the same quarter last year.

Additionally, net income climbed to $851 million from $508 million a year earlier, and earnings per share of $2.66 landed far above the company's own $1.85-to-$1.93 guidance. About $0.60 of that came from tariff refunds under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), so the clean beat was smaller than it looks -- but it was still a beat, and the company raised its outlook on top of it.

That outlook is the part the market paid for. Ross now expects comparable sales to grow 6% to 7% in the third quarter and 4% to 5% in the fourth -- raised numbers, against tougher year-over-year comparisons. And the third-quarter range matches the comparable sales guidance Ross gave for the quarter it just beat by three points.

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TJX: bigger, steadier, slowingTJX's quarter was good by nearly every measure it guides on. Revenue rose 5% year over year to $15.2 billion, and earnings per share of $1.36, up 24%, came in well above plan.

Excluding a $0.14 net tariff-refund benefit, adjusted earnings per share still grew 11%.

Topping it all off, the company raised its full-year margin and earnings outlook, lifted its long-term store target to 7,500 locations, and returned $1.3 billion to shareholders in the quarter. And the stock fell anyway.

The problem was the composition.

Marmaxx, the U.S. division that includes TJ Maxx and Marshalls and generates most of TJX's sales, grew comparable sales just 1%, down from 3% a year ago. The strength came from everywhere else.

"While sales at Marmaxx were below our expectations, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International all delivered terrific comp sales increases of 6% to 7%, which underscores the strength of our global diversified business," said CEO Ernie Herrman in the earnings release.

The second-half plan, I think, extends the slowdown. TJX expects third-quarter comparable sales growth of just 2% to 3% and full-year growth of 3% to 4%. That sales outlook was not raised. The earnings raise came from margin, and part of it from tariff refunds.

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The second half decided itPut the two plans side by side and the reactions stop looking strange. Ross just posted 10% comparable sales growth and told investors to expect 6% to 7% next quarter. TJX posted 4% and told investors to expect 2% to 3%, with its flagship division near flat.

The valuations sharpen the contrast.

TJX's market value sits near $155 billion, about twice Ross' $78 billion, and the stocks trade at similar valuations: TJX at about 26 times earnings, Ross at about 29 times earnings.

So investors are paying nearly the same price per dollar of profit for a company growing comparable sales at less than half the rate.

And forward price-to-earnings ratios, measured against each company's own raised full-year guidance, land in the same neighborhood.

Sure, TJX runs the bigger, more diversified business, and a turn at Marmaxx could change this comparison quickly. Herrman said the third quarter is off to a strong start overall, with improvement at Marmaxx, and he may prove the plan conservative. But off-price is a traffic business. Ross is still pulling more customers through its doors quarter after quarter, while growth at TJX's biggest U.S. banners has nearly stalled.

I think the market read the two reports correctly. The quarter was fine at both companies. The second half, by each management team's own numbers, belongs to Ross.

Some of Nvidia's (NVDA.O) largest ​customers have been told prices of servers ‌containing its AI chips will rise by more than 15% in many cases with memory chip costs ​soaring, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday.

The price ​hikes will go into effect on systems ⁠shipped early next year and will impact ​systems including those with the flagship Vera Rubin ​and Grace Blackwell chips, the report added, citing people familiar with the process. The increases will depend on Nvidia's ​chip generation and memory configurations, they said.

Reuters ​couldn't immediately verify the report. Nvidia did not immediately ‌respond ⁠to a request for comments outside regular business hours.

Companies that build servers under contract for large data center operators such as Microsoft (MSFT.O), Alphabet Inc.’s Google (GOOGL.O) and ​Oracle (ORCL.N) have ​recently informed ⁠their customers of the upcoming increases, the report added.

Nvidia, whose chips ​underpin much of the AI infrastructure buildout, ​is ⁠set to report second-quarter results on August 26.

The company has become a proxy for the broader ⁠AI ​ecosystem spanning chip makers and ​companies financing the rapid expansion of data center capacity.

Paramount (PSKY.O) and California state officials are set to meet on Monday to discuss a ​potential settlement path of the state's lawsuit ‌aimed at stopping Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD.O), the New York Times reported on Saturday citing ​sources familiar with the discussions. Here's ​what to know:

The talks are preliminary, and ⁠there is no assurance that they will lead ​to meaningful negotiations toward a settlement, the report ​said, adding that Paramount requested the meeting.

Reuters couldn't immediately verify the report. Paramount didn't immediately respond to a ​request for comment outside regular business hours.

The ​meeting, which will include senior executives and lawyers from ‌each ⁠side, has been in the works for a little over a week, NYT added, citing one of the people.

Last month, California and 11 ​states sued to ​block Paramount's $110 ⁠billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging the deal would lessen competition ​in film distribution and cable television, ​harming ⁠theaters and pay TV distributors.

States including New York, Arizona and Minnesota argued the deal would harm ⁠theaters ​and television distributors, raise prices ​for consumers and make wages less competitive for workers.

Home Depot (HD +0.34%) just reported financial results for its fiscal second quarter (ended Aug. 2). Revenue of $47.9 billion and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $4.92 both came in ahead of Wall Street analyst expectations. Shares were up following the announcement, even though the management team kept guidance unchanged.

The retail stock has been disappointing in the past five years, trading up just 7% during that time (as of Aug. 19). However, it does a fantastic job of returning capital to shareholders. Home Depot currently pays a dividend yield of 2.67%. And it has raised the quarterly payout in 17 straight years, with a dividend going to shareholders in 157 consecutive quarters.

Passive-income investors can rejoice. However, the dividend doesn't matter nearly as much as the Federal Reserve and Kevin Warsh. Home Depot's success depends on favorable macroeconomic conditions.

Here's what investors must know about the industry-leading home improvement chain.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Blame the macroeconomic environment During the second quarter, Home Depot revealed that same-store sales (SSS) increased by 1.7%, marking the fastest growth rate in almost four years. The reported figure still isn't anything to write home about. This important metric has been under immense pressure in recent years, even turning negative in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2024.

Blame the macro environment. Inflationary pressures are forcing the Federal Reserve's hand, as it recently kept the fed funds rate unchanged. The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, which is the central bank's preferred inflation gauge, is well above the long-run 2% target. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has signaled to the market that he intends to contain inflation. Companies whose success depends on a more accommodative environment will have to wait for better days.

Home Depot will continue to feel the negative impacts. Housing turnover is low, and mortgage rates are high. This setup discourages more spending activity on upgrades and renovations. These are sizable purchasing decisions, so it makes sense that people are being more discerning, especially when economic uncertainty is elevated.

Until inflation gets under control, which may or may not take some time, it's not easy to be bullish on Home Depot's growth prospects. Interest rates need to come down, and activity in the housing market must pick back up. According to consensus analyst estimates, the company's revenue in fiscal 2028 will be only 12.4% higher than 2025's $164.7 billion total. This is a muted outlook.

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Bulls get paid to test their patience That being said, this is a competitively advantaged business. It's the clear leader in what management estimates to be a massive $1.2 trillion industry. This supports its brand recognition. What's more, a significant revenue base affords Home Depot the ability to invest in new store openings, supply chain and omnichannel capabilities, inventory availability, and labor force.

But its 14% market share underscores the opportunity in front of it to grow revenue at the expense of smaller rivals. One of the most powerful long-term tailwinds for this business is the aging housing stock, as older homes require more upkeep. What's more, there are trillions of dollars in untapped equity due to notable housing appreciation in the U.S. in recent years. This indicates pent-up demand.

Home Depot is a high-quality company whose dividend faces virtually no risk of being disrupted. Profitability is no issue. Despite facing macro headwinds, it still posted $4.8 billion in net income in the latest fiscal quarter. And analysts believe it will generate $16.9 billion in free cash flow this fiscal year. That's materially higher than what its dividend bill will be.

Home Depot won't do much to attract growth-minded investors. However, it is a solid dividend stock. Investors who remain bullish can at least earn a healthy income stream as they wait for the company's financial performance to improve. It's easier to be patient when you're getting paid to do so.